Github

Finally got github account set up and time to get updating my blog again!

https://github.com/Decimater/xfireDownloader

Bits and bobs

Little bits I suppose, 

Getting rid of more hardware, and been drooling over the m.2 ssd available. 

Apart from getting rid of old hardware, started to use SQL a lot more and Java.

Laws, JUnit, and Hamcrest

Came across a couple of different laws this week, 

The robustness principal / Postel's law, interesting idea on how it can be used within software construction although originally for use in networking. 

Be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others (often reworded as "Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept").

Command query separation (CQS), the idea for what I write would be a function or method should return a value for query and for command which would change the system's state in some way should return void.

Installing JUnit for IntelliJ 14, although IntelliJ does come with JUnit installed and a test runner, JUnit has a dependency on Hamcrest. It was not entirely clear where what and how was going wrong, so...

1. Hamcrest at Google code.
2. IntelliJ -> File -> project structure
3. Modules -> Dependencies -> + icon top right
4. Point to hamcrest, YAY!

Book read this month, The software craftsman, has some good ideas, I did like the whole job searching and what to look for, generally that a dev would have written the job description and more concerned about what the dev can deliver. I often see degree only, 10 or more years experience.

Back to learning Java

Little things from podcasts and bits online, 

Strangler pattern, interesting idea, by taking the shape of current system you strangle the older system in the same way ivy does. 

Conway's law, the idea that systems being developed mirror the social structure of the company creating it.

UK Business insider with an article about rates of pay and different technologies and skill sets. 

Trying to get up to speed with Java doing basic coding challenges, very different to how intuitive I found visual studio.

Challenge 203, display a black triangle

 
Challenge 202 convert binary to English

public class Main {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String input "010010000110010101101100011011000
11011110010000001010111011011
11011100100110110001100100";
        char[] inputs = input.toCharArray();
        List<String> inputsAsWords = new ArrayList<String>();

        int wordLength = 8;
        int wordLettersinInput = input.length() / wordLength;
        int counter = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < wordLettersinInput; i++)
        {
            String Word = "";
            counter += wordLength;
            for (int k = i*wordLength; k < counter; k++  )
            {
                Word = Word + inputs[k];
            }

            inputsAsWords.add(Word);
        }

        for (String word: inputsAsWords)
        {
            System.out.print((char) Integer.parseInt(word, 2));
        }
    }
}

More kit going to the recycling, this time it was a broken card, folding at home is hard on cards, removed the cooler for other projects. I did find whilst throwing rubbish out my old TIM-clean. TIM-clean, citrus based solvent that is actually friendly compared to isopropyl alcohol and effective.

Recycling

Recycling old kit, you will be missed, go now to silicon heaven with all the old calculators. 

Also frustrating and rewarding the app inventor, had to do some bits for uni. I am old so programming in this way is quite strange.

 

Noise cancelling headphones

Finally got some noise cancelling headphones, not the most expensive or the most effective but they really take the edge off the air compressor whine that I am near. They do not cancel voice well which actually has worked out so if people ask for me I can just hear them. 

For the record these are 7dayshop AERO 7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones with Aeroplane Kit and Travel Case from amazon. Another benefit has been being able to use my training time watching pluralsight videos at work.

Not really tech, having a big mouse mat is actually nice, tracks well when using the surface calibration in the synapse software. 

Don't under estimate documentation, I've been updating lots of it, systems that have been around for ages at least worth documenting the basics and business rules. As I found a lot of time has been used to find who knows this thing and then how to use it.

Shorty this week

Hanselman how to use word very handy as I had not been shown any of that, one of those things I just expected to be able to do. 

The path finding algorithm Dijkstra which is the father of A* and then A* epsilon. A* builds on Dijkstra algorithm by being greedy.

A greedy algorithm is an algorithm that follows the problem solving heuristic of making the locally optimal choice at each stage with the hope of finding a global optimum.
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greedy_algorithm
 
From .net rocks about opening files in notepad, if the first line starts with PK this is a zip file. Tried this out and appears true.